Comfort
by FirePhoniex12
Summary: Peeta & Annie comforting each other after the torture of the Capitol. Really sweet bonding moments between Annie and Peeta, who have a lot more in common than they think. This takes place after their wedding, during their downtime and is slightly AU-ish. Finnick and Annie are still a couple, though. There's just something about being there that makes someone's words bring comfort.


**Peeta & Annie: Comfort each other.**

I got this idea when I was rereading MockingJay and watching the movie again. I thought it would really be nice to explore the dynamic between Annie and Peeta because they had such a scarring experience together or relatively close to each other. They have both been through the Games, totured by the Capitol and ripped away from their soulmates. It wouldn't be surprising to say that they can help each other cope.

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><p>There was something about being there that made the difference.<p>

Yes, Finn with his hushed words and tight embraces made her feel safe, safer than anyone that was currently alive could make her feel. His love was a fluffy blanket around her, where shattered pieces laid bare. Here in District 14, finally being able to love him openly and fully, without the threat of the Capitol constantly hanging over them, made her feel free. She was free and loved and happy and in the end, what more could a person ask for?

But she was the poor mad girl back home. Haunted.

Back in District 4, she had nightmares, the same nightmares she had now. Finnick would be beside her when they shook her out of sleep and her throat was raw from screaming. He would hold her and love her and whisper everything was going to be okay and that they, she, was safe now. The voices would scream and scream that it was all lies, but somehow Finnick's whispers would drown them out. She would fall asleep and wake up with dried tear streaks and Finnick's breath in her ears. There was no voices, just sunlight.

Now, she still had nightmares, old and new. Finnick was now permanently sleeping beside her, just like he promised to do for the rest of their lives. She would scream with no one outside of those four walls to hear her. Finnick, who had already been holding her hand, would be there with his lips in her hair and the smoothing whispers in her ear. Like the voices always did, they faded away. She could feel his breath in her ear, almost like a whistle. But there was no sunlight down in the catacombs of District 13 and she wasn't falling asleep.

She just kept crying, the streaks never drying. There was no sleep in that room. That room where there was nothing but darkness and unknown figures hit, burned and starved for information, for things she didn't know, for the answers in a life she didn't have. A room that Finnick assured she would never go back to again.

In the morning, she could feel the moment Finnick woke up. He shifted and opened his eyes, lips forming a smile when he saw her face. His bronze hard stuck up like a newborn duckling. She couldn't help smiling back. But then he saw her eyes and that brilliant smile was replaced with a frown, something she hated to see.

"Fin, it's alright."

"You haven't slept," he said, touching her wet cheeks.

She didn't say it, but he knew. The guilt piercing through the light in his green eyes. "I should have-"

"Not your fault," she said, staring ahead. "No one's fault."

He closed his lips, but screamed apologies. She interlaced their fingers and kissed his shoulders, "Never your fault."

Her pale bruised hand was so small in his as he gently squeezed back.

They shared a kiss, a whispered "I love you" made it way to her heart.

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><p>There was something about being there that made Peeta's words comforting instead of bleak, like his tone indicated. They sat across from each other in the cafeteria. Annie was eating with one hand as the other was carefully intertwined with Finnick's. After the first encounter with Peeta, Finnick was protective about sitting with him again. But slowly, he got better, more gentle. He mostly stayed silent while the others told stories of happier times in their districts, stories that gave them hope.<p>

But today was different. Peeta had stared at her for a while before saying something while everyone was listening to a story that Gale was telling.

"I told you we would get out," his tone hushed, almost as if he was afraid that someone might hear. She stared at him in silence, remembering the beatings, the darkness, the screaming voices. Tears formed in her eyes, but she held them back. There was one voice in the darkness that she remembered. It wasn't Finnick's voice.

_They're going to get us out. _

_Katniss is going to get us okay. She's alive. She's okay. _

_We're okay. We are going to live. _

_Everything is going to be okay. _

Mantras repeated over and over. It sounded more like he was saying them to himself, but he said her name a couple times.

_Annie, everything is going to be okay. _

_They're going to get us out. _

It grounded her. There was someone in the other room and he was alive. She could hear Johanna's screams and Peeta's whispers. And she wasn't the only one left. They were going to be okay.

She looked at Peeta. His dark eyes reflecting her own emotion, fear. Fear was something that ran through every vein in her body. It clung to her bones and tore through her brain. He knew it better than anyone.

"Peeta," she whispered, "We are safe."

He was broken, shattered like her. But instead of having a Finnick, he was thrown into a world where he was isolated, confused and heartbroken. So broken. A pang of pity went through her. She knew exactly what that was like, how terrible and cruel District 4 was to her every time Finnick made trips to the Capitol. She hated those trips for more reason than one.

Annie put down her fork and gently eased her hand out of Finnick's grip. He looked at her in confusion, eyes following the motion of her hand.

She squeezed Peeta's shaking hand. The table was hushed now.

"Thank you, Peeta," Annie said, trying to convey her gratitude. "We are safe. Thank you so much." He looked down at their intertwined hands and then back at her.

The blond haired boy didn't move for a long time. Just when Annie was going to let go, he nodded and squeezed back.

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading!<strong> Be sure to review if you want me to continue ~


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